1Research Scholar, Department of Geography, The M.S. Univ. of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
2Professor, Dept. of Geography, Faculty of Sci., The M.S. Univ. of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Non-communicable diseases, commonly known as lifestyle diseases, develop gradually over time due to a blend of various factors such as environmental susceptibility, hereditary predisposition, and physiological and behavioral risk determinants. Non-communicable diseases kill 41 million people per year, accounting for 74% of all deaths worldwide and 63% in India. Every year, 17 million individuals die from non-communicable diseases before the age of 70 years. The aim of this study is to compare the prevalence of obesity, blood sugar level, and hypertension in Gujarat based on the data from the NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 surveys. The study utilized secondary data, and analysis was done using statistical and graphical techniques in MS Excel to illustrate trends and patterns; graphs were prepared using ArcGIS software, and the calculation of the performance score was done by the SAW method. The prevalence of blood sugar levels was found to be 15.8% among women and 16.9% among men in the state. The highest level was recorded in Mahesana (21.6%) among men and in Ahmedabad (20.3%) among women. 20.6% of women and 20.3% of men in Gujarat were affected by hypertension. The highest level was recorded in Gandhinagar (29.3%) among men and in Anand (26.6%) among women. An elevated waist-to-hip ratio was noted in 43.7% of women and 40.9% of men. The highest was noted in Dahod (61.9%) and the lowest in Botad (25%) among women. The Dangs district achieved the highest score and ranked first, while Valsad performed poorly and ranked last. A rising trend in lifestyle diseases has been observed. Policymakers ought to prioritize all these illnesses as urgent needs.
Lifestyle diseases, Blood sugar level, Hypertension, Waist-to-hip ratio, NFHS-4 & NFHS-5
